Customer Reviews

SPENCO POLYSORB Total Support Premium Insole

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was reluctant to spend three to four times the cost of the average "drugstore" insole for the Spenco Polysorb (tm) Total Support Premium Insole, but my aching feet and knees were crying out for solid support, so I took the plunge. Without a doubt, these are the most supportive over-the-counter insoles I've ever owned. The heel cup is particularly deep and well-molded; my near constant heel pain went away within a day and a half of using these insoles. Similarly, arch support is excellent. The design is well-thought out and, insofar as one can say an insole is attractive, its construction and appearance look great, as befits its high-end price.

The "Men's 10-11" size fit my size 10-1/2 shoes perfectly without trimming. The instructions recommend taking out the existing insole from your shoe and trimming the Total Support to fit its profile. I would suggest inserting the Total Support into your shoe first to check the fit. A lot of standard shoe insoles don't have the supportive "cupping" on the sides the Total Support has, so you could possibly cut the Total Support too narrow (and diminish the effectiveness of its "cup") if you just trace around the stock insoles. This probably varies based on the actual shoe width and its last, but it can't do any harm to check before hacking away at these expensive insoles.

Though I used the "heat in the oven" molding technique, I'm not certain it provided signficant benefits; the insole is likely to mold to your foot as well within a day or two of wearing it. However, it only takes two minutes to heat up the insoles in the oven, so it's not like you're investing a lot of time and effort in this optional step. I didn't notice any of the shrinkage some reviewers reported when using the heat molding technique. I was careful to use an oven pre-heated to warm (instructions say 185 degrees) for just two minutes, so I'm not certain the temperature got high enough to have much effect at all, much less shrink the insole.

The overall effect of adding them to my New Balance 476 trail runners was to boost the comfort and support of these good mid-range shoes to the level of the very best (and most expensive) running shoes designed for ultimate stability.

So why no five-star rating from me? Simple. These intelligently-designed, well-constructed, and outrageously comfortable insoles would be worth every penny of their premium price were it not for the fact they squawk like a tree full of crows whenever I take a step in them.

Other reviewers have reported "squeaks" from these insoles, but that term doesn't begin to describe the roar they make. If you spend your time in a noisy factory, on a casino floor, working an airport runway, or in an institution for the deaf, you and those around you might not mind the noise, but you'll be the center of unwanted attention just about anywhere else. If your occupation involves moving swiftly and silently -- say, like a secret agent -- using these insoles could jeopordize the success of your mission and perhaps the very security of our nation. If I were walking and talking instead of sitting and typing I'd have to shout to make this review heard. Well... maybe that's a bit of hyperbole, but I think you get the point: they're noisy.

I noticed other reviewers fixed this problem with duct tape. I love duct tape; with duct tape and plastic garbage bags you can do about 87% of the things worth doing in this world. But it peeved me more than a bit to think I was going to have put duct tape on my brand spanking new high-end "you spent how much on what!?" upmarket insoles just to make them work like they should out-of-the-box.

So I pulled the insoles out of the shoes repeatedly and tried to position them differently to make the foamy shriek go away. No luck. I hopped around the block a few times thinking I might be able to pound out the squishy squawk. All I did was entertain the neighbors. I even put them back in the oven at a slighty higher temperature to see if I could bake the roar away. Zero effect -- although it wasn't a total waste because I threw some potatoes in for dinner since the oven was already heated up. They were delicious!

So I went back to "Plan A" and liberally applied duct tape to these unhushed puppies. The silver gray of duct tape matches nicely with the red and blue accents of the Spenco Polysorb Total Support Premium Insole, I must say, but -- alas! -- taping 'em up like a 43-year-old quarterback on game day did nothing to silence them. By now my wife, who usually observes my antics with private amusement, was laughing openly at my efforts to tame these squalling insoles.

That's why I snuck around to the back of the house out of her sight to whack 'em a few times with a five-pound sledge. I figured if I could speed up the breaking in process a bit, maybe they'd settle down.

Nope.

I'm defeated. Don't get me wrong. I still love these insoles. If I were bit more of a geezer than I am, I'd just turn down my hearing aid and ignore the squeaks (along with most of my relatives). It would be worth it just to have the Spenco Polysorb Total Support Premium Insole caressing my tired feet in their inimitable manner. But I'm still able to hear a lot more than I care to and the sound of the soles is something I can't live with.

Sorry, honey, it's over. It's not you, it's me. My feet are telling me we're meant for each other, but my ears say otherwise. You were probably too good for me anyway; I'll likely end up with another set of those $7.99 downmarket floozies off the rack at CVS that I'll throw away in six weeks and replace with more of the same. They don't make me feel like you make me feel, but, honestly, maybe I'm just not ready for all you have to say.

I will always love you, though, and think fondly of the time we had together. Now get back in the box, please. You're being returned to your maker.

Note to Spenco product designers: if you were trying to make the world's loudest insoles, please accept my apologies for assuming otherwise and I commend you on a job well done! If not, why not go back to drawing board on these and get it right? The comfort and support part you just completely nailed. Really good stuff. Fix the noisemaking and you likely will have created the greatest over-the-counter insole on the planet. Get crackin'!

***AN UPDATE

After corresponding with Spenco, I can truly say they stand behind (on top of?) their insoles. The problem with "squeaking" (roaring, squawking, whatever...) is known to the good folks at Spenco and is an issue mostly with shoes that have EVA soles, which my New Balance trail runners do indeed.

They suggest talcum powder as a noise reducer. It works! It will have to be replenished periodically, but that's a small price to pay for the comfort these insoles provide.

Spenco also sent me gratis an additional two sets of Polysorb (tm) Total Support Premium Insoles for my trouble and for making them laugh with this review. So I put the new ones into two other pairs of shoes -- a Bass boat shoe (no, not shoes to wear in a bass boat -- "Bass" is the brand) and a Saucony running shoe. Neither had EVA soles and neither made a hint of noise.

In fact, the only thing you could hear is me saying "Ahhhhh... that feels goooooooood..." with each step. Get yourself some of these and see what I mean. And grab some baby powder while you're at it. Even if you don't need to put it on the Total Supports in your EVA-soled shoes, it feels good on your feet and makes 'em smell nice.

Amazon won't let me change my star rating, but it's now a solid "5"!

As a longtime user of Spenco's Polysorb walk/run insoles, I was thrilled when this new insole came out with more support and a deeper heel cup. In the proper shoe they work fine as is, but if you try to heat the insoles in the oven according to the package instructions, they will shrink at least one size! Fortunately I was able to exchange them for one size up -- and when I heated them this time, they were the right size. This means you cannot/should not cut the insole to fit prior to oven heating (as per instructions). Hope Spenco will reissue this great product with more specific instructions as to how to oven heat them and still retain the desired size.

These are the only insoles I've tried that have taken away the awful burning pain in my feet and relieved the tired aching muscles in my calves and thighs. I stand for eight hours a day working on the casino floor so these insoles have given me the freedom to walk and stand pain free through an entire shift. They provide great arch and heel support. Thank you Spenco for making a great product!

Initially I was so pleased with the performance of Spenco Polysorb Total Support Insoles in my hiking boots I purchased a second pair for the lightweight-hiking boots I use for every day use.

Long story short: As the main black foot bed compresses with use over time, the very hard red rubber heel cushion that is affixed to the bottom of the black foot bed through an opening in the gray stability cradle forms a lump which pushes up into the bottom of the heel.

The lump is very subtle. I did not notice it until after I transferred these insoles to new hiking boots that I purchased because I was experiencing heel pain. The pain did not subside with new boots. Looking for other possible causes, I closely examined the insoles and noticed the lump. Upon replacing these insoles with the flimsy insoles that came with the boots, relief was almost instantaneous. I can tell it will take a while for my heel to fully recover. In the mean time, I have purchased a competing brand high performance insole.

If you start to experience heel pain and these insoles are in your shoes, replace the insoles, not the shoes.

These are relatively light insoles that are very comfortable with out being too firm as some heat and mold soft orthotics can be. I wore these on a treadmill doing 800 meter repeats and the cushioning was quite nice and two days later wore them on an 8 mile run on the Noland Trail. I like the fact that they provide reasonable support while maintaining flexibility. Possibly not for the severe pronator but for the moderate and for someone who needs cushioning, these insoles meet those needs. I generally have a left achilles problem that requires some control but also cushioning and these seem to work well in contrast to hard orthotics that have little cushioning. In addition, I also have periodic low back pain and these insoles seem to assist with that as well. Note that the insoles come in a two size range like 10-11, thus if you wear the lower size you will probably need to trim them. Also, follow the instructions and use the original insole of your shoes to trace with otherwise if you cut them a little too short, your big toes will over lap and you will be stuck with a short insole. I had no squeaking at all with my Sauconys. I plan to buy another pair to fit both pairs of my running shoes.

I'm a former Championship Ballroom Dance competitor (International Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Fox Trot, Quickstep) now pushing 70 -- but, my wife and I still try to fly around the floor like kids (heart rates in the 180s at times). Heck, we have our own full size ballroom. Anyhow, all that "big" movement is hard on the old tendons and ligaments -- particularly in the feet. Twice I've torn a tendon in my foot (along with two knee surgeries for good measure).

Those foot tendon injuries take a year to heal, and I don't have that many years left. Perhaps needless to say, I've tried everything regardless of price -- including custom prescribed orthotics.

After the second tendon tear, I looked for better insoles and found these Polysorbs. Jackpot! To date, I have bought about a dozen sets of Spenco Polysorb insoles. I use them in all my shoes all the time -- most importantly including my dance shoes. Those shoes are made of lightweight leather with almost glove thin leather soles.

By far, these are the best insoles I have tried for my particular feet. Most insoles don't do a thing for me. But, these shoe filling insoles provide snug, but comfortable support that has definitely helped me heal faster and has unquestionably prevented further injury during flat out practice and coaching sessions.

Worth a try if you are looking for comprehensive support during active sports or for everyday walking when recovering from a food injury.

These are WONDERFUL support footbeds only ONE problem... they SQUEEL when you walk. They need to be trimmed with duct tape and so does the inside of the shoe where they rub then they are quiet as a mouse. I am surprised Spenco doesn't address this problem. I'm sure it would be an easy fix by using a different material to finish off the footbed. I LOVE the support they give so I work with the "problem". I highly recommend these to anyone who needs orthotics. They do the same thing at a fraction of the price so you can afford to have them in ALL your shoes.

OMG this is the best product that I have ever purchased for my sore feet. I suffer from planters fasciitis in both feet, and I have tried several different types of insoles over the past few years. My feet would hurt so bad by noon each day that I could hardly walk. I started shopping for either a good insole or an expensive pair of shoes.
I was very reluctant to pay the price for the Spenco's Polysorb Total Support Premium Insole, especially after paying around ten dollars every time for a pair of insoles that didn't help at all.
After reading the reviews on the Spenco's Polysorb Total Support Premium Insole, and searching everywhere to find them for a cheaper price on the internet, I finally decided I would try them.
As soon as I received them in the mail, I read the instructions, trimmed them to the size I needed, threw them in the oven and immediately put my shoes on, hoping for a miracle. After the first day I was starting to think that I may have just wasted my money. The second day I was at least able to stay on my feet for a longer period of time. On the third and forth day I wasn't even noticing my feet being sore anymore. What a great feeling!
No complaints about the product, just wish they were cheaper so I could afford to buy them for all my shoes.
I would definitely recommend the Spenco Polysorb Total Support Premium Insole.

I developed a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis on my left foot during a run in Japan in October. I bought my first pair of Spenco inserts from a mall shoe repair store - and they worked so well, that I wanted to get some more pairs, but at a better price. Amazon was the ticket for that. These insoles are really good quality in material and they fit without any trimming into my pair of size 10.5 Docker business casual shoes and also into my size 11 Nike Bowerman series running shoes (I took out the inserts in the running shoes and put in the Spenco's without any issues). After two months of continuous usage they are still feeling like new. These inserts are really helping the pain when walking and running, so my foot is gradually coming around. I will probably be using these for the foreseeable future to prevent a reoccurrence once my foot is completely better.

I have a slight problem with pronation of my right foot, and didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on custom orthotics, so for $30 I thought I would give these insoles a try. They promised both comfort and support, and the guy in the advertisement looks just like I would like to (if I was 20 years younger and 30 pounds lighter....) Fitting them into my shoes (Asics Gel Keyano) was a bit cumbersome (heat in oven at 200 degrees for 3 minutes, garnish lightly with cilantro, etc). Turns out the right insole didn't go in as far as the left, leading to a bit of a 'hump' sensation in the middle of my right foot. Talk about your arch support. The first time I ran with the Polysorbs, I immediately noted that both shoes fit a lot tighter. There's only so much volume in a shoe, and the Polysorb insoles take up a lot more space than the insoles the shoes came with. A related problem was the weight. Granted, they're not made of lead, but still the Polysorbs weigh more than the insoles they replaced. I have certain routes and routines (hill sprints, etc) that I run regularly, and I noted that I am definitely slower with the Polysorbs, and my legs are more tired. On the other hand, my knee didn't hurt at the end of a run as it often does.

Bottom line from my experience - the Polysorbs seem to provide extra cushioning and support, as promised, but it comes at a price of heavier shoes and slower times. Also, consider sizing up one half size to allow for their impact on fit.